Partial response to bandh in Telugu states; life crippled in Tripura, Kerala

demonetisation

Partial response to bandh in Telugu states; life crippled in Tripura, Kerala

Agencies
| November 28, 2016

(File) Representational image

The nation-wide shutdown called by the Left parties over demonetisation of high value currency notes evoked partial response in Telugu states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, but crippled life in Tripura and Kerala.

Shops, business establishments and educational institutions remained closed in some areas of AP and Telangana while there was not much impact elsewhere.

The services of state-owned Road Transport Corporation (RTC) was near normal in both the state.

The activists of the opposition parties staged protest at RTC depots at many places since early morning, however, the bus services by and large remained unaffected.

Activists of Communist Party of India (CPI), Communist Party-Marxist (CPM), Congress and YSR Congress Party staged sit-in at RTC depots. However, the employees union stayed away from the shutdown.

The Left parties exempted banks from the strike call.

Buses off roads in Kerala

In Kerala, autorickshaws were seen plying in some places, providing some relief to people.

Police vehicles were used to transport railway passengers and patients coming from far off places to the Regional Cancer Centre in Thiruvananthapuram.

Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and private buses are keeping off roads in most places.

Some Sabarimala pilgrims who arrived at Kottayam by train complained that they were unable to leave for the Ayyappa temple as buses were not plying "We have been waiting for hours. Though some private taxis are available, we cannot afford them as the fares are exorbitant," a man from Andhra Pradesh said.

The tourism sector and vehicles of Sabarimala pilgrims have been exempted from the strike.

Keeping in mind the peak tourist season, the government had decided to exempt tourists from the strike. It has issued instructions to all departments concerned, including police to take all possible steps to ensure that the tourism sector was not hit by the strike.

Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran had also requested for exemption of tourists and tourist vehicles from the strike.

Tour operators were assured by Tourism Principal Secretary V Venu that the hartal would not affect the visitors.

Banks, newspapers, milk supply, hospitals and marriage functions would be exempted from the shutdown, LDF convener Vaikom Viswam had said in a statement.

Shutdown cripples life in Tripura

Government and semi-government, private offices, banks, educational institutions, shops and business establishments were remained closed due to the strike in the Left ruled Tripura.

All types of vehicles, except security forces, remained off the roads.

Aircrafts in-between Agartala, Guwahati, Kolkata and New Delhi have been plied as usual.

Train services between Tripura and rest of the country were affected as the Left party workers blocked several trains in different locations in the state.

"There is no untoward incident reported from anywhere in the state. The shut down remained peaceful across the state," police spokesman Uttam Kumar Bhowmik told IANS.

The BJP workers led by local leaders held several rallies in different parts of the state opposing the strike and urged the people to maintain normalcy all across.

"As part of the all-India agitation against the Centre's November 8 demonetisation, we have urged the people of Tripura to observe the 12-hour strike across the state, The strike was total, successful and spontaneous," Tripura Left Front convenor and former Lok Sabha member Khagen Das said.